Ranking The Top 10 NFL Head Coaches of All Time

When it comes to the National Football League (NFL), coaching matters. Throughout the NFL’s rich history, we have been lucky to witness some truly amazing coaches. But how do the greats rank among each other? Recently, we broke down the Top 10 NFL wide receivers of all time. Join us today as we discuss and rank the greatest coaches in NFL history.

1. Bill Belichick

Win Loss Record: 302-165
Super Bowl Wins: 6
AP Coach of Year Awards: 3

There should be zero surprises here. Bill Belichick, the coach with the most Super Bowl wins of all time, easily takes our number-one spot. The haters will be quick to point out his record without Tom Brady. But great players need great coaching, and great coaching relies on great talent playing the game.

Not only did Belichick win six Super Bowls during his tenure in New England, but he guided his teams to an amazing nine Super Bowl appearances. He also led New England to an unbelievable 13 AFC title games.

These are insane numbers. We may never witness greatness like this again, although a contender below might challenge these numbers depending on how much longer he continues coaching. Belichick will be sitting out a year in 2024, but he is expected to be a hot candidate for openings in 2025.
The haters can say what they want, but the facts speak for themselves. It’s hard to argue with 300+ wins and six titles.

2. Andy Reid

Win Loss Record: 258-144-1
Super Bowl Wins: 3
AP Coach of Year Awards: 1

I was tempted to go with another name at two, but after watching Kansas City win their third title in five years, it convinced me to put Andy Reid at number two. The Chiefs put the cherry on top of their dynasty with their latest Super Bowl victory. It also handed Reid his third Super Bowl ring.

Reid has the fourth-most wins as a head coach in NFL history. He’s also got five Super Bowl appearances to go along with 11 Conference Championship appearances.

Before Kansas City, he endured a great run of success in Philadelphia where he made five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. Long seen as a coach who couldn’t “win the big game”, Reid’s career changed for the better with the selection of Patrick Mahomes. Already seen as one of the top coaches before Mahomes, the quarterback helped Reid reach his full potential as a coach. Reid has always been unequivocally beloved by his players. His ascent to greatness has been fun to watch.

Paired with Mahomes for as long as he wants, Reid is best equipped to make a run at Belichick for the number one slot on this list.

3. Don Shula

Win Loss Record: 328-156-6
Super Bowl Wins: 2
AP Coach of Year Awards: 4

The coach with the most all-time wins checks in at number three. Don Shula’s coaching career spanned over 33 years. He was hired by the Baltimore Colts in 1963 at the ripe age of 33.

Shula would guide the Colts to the 1968 NFL Championship and played the AFL Champion New York Jets in Super Bowl III. Unfortunately, Shula’s Colts would fall short. They lost to some guy named Joe Namath. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

After Baltimore, Shula would take over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins starting in 1970. This is where Shula cemented his legacy. He would lead Miami to three consecutive Super Bowls from 1971-1973. While they fell short to the Dallas Cowboys in 1971, the Dolphins followed up this loss with the best season the NFL has ever seen.

Under Shula’s guidance, the 1972 Miami Dolphins would go undefeated en route to winning Super Bowl VII. Finishing 17-0, the 1972 Dolphins remain the only team to ever finish a season without a loss. That accomplishment alone earns Shula a place on this list.

1973 was a bit of a setback as they only went 12-2. Joking aside, they would defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII and repeat as champions.

The Dolphins would enjoy continued success under Shula until he retired after the 1995 season. He would lead Miami to additional Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowls XVII and XIX. Unfortunately, the Dolphins could not win either game and Super Bowl VIII would be Shula’s final Lombardi Trophy as a coach.

His success in the league spanned over three decades. In fact, over his 33 years as head coach, Shula only had two losing seasons. Wow.

Shula was a winner through and through. Winning over 67% of his games, four Coach of the Year awards, and appearing in six Super Bowls, Shula is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches of all time.
The only reason he is not higher on this list is his two Super Bowl titles. Yes, we’re nitpicking, but that’s what we’ve got to do when ranking the best of the best.

4. Bill Walsh

Win Loss Record: 92-59-1
Super Bowl Wins: 3
AP Coach of Year Awards: 1

During the 1980s, Bill Walsh led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl Titles. Tied for the third-most Super Bowl wins, Walsh turned around the 49ers franchise. He made some key player acquisitions along the way. He drafted Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Charles Haley, and Jerry Rice. These moves helped set the foundation for San Francisco’s decade of success.

While Walsh’s career record is not as glorious as others on this list, he gets major points for revolutionizing the game with his offensive approach. The architect of the West Coast offense, Walsh’s impact on the game is still felt today.

Many offenses in the league still run basic “West Coast” principles. Walsh’s coaching tree also speaks for itself. With the likes of Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid, his descendants have experienced great success.

One of the games’ true innovators, Walsh has earned his place as one of the NFL’s coaching immortals.

5. Chuck Knoll

Win Loss Record: 193-148-1
Super Bowl Wins: 4
AP Coach of Year Awards: 0

The Mastermind of the “Steel Curtain” comes in at number five. Chuck Knoll took over as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach in 1969. While it was a rough start (12-30 in his first three seasons), Knoll eventually set the Steelers franchise on the right path.

Knoll would guide the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins in six seasons from 1974-1979. The 1970s truly belonged to the black and gold. With Hall of Fame players Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, and “Mean” Joe Greene, Knoll maximized the talent at his disposal and cashed in four times.

While he was unable to match his success of the 1970s, Knoll would make the playoffs several more times and remained the Steelers coach until 1991 when he retired.

Despite having no AP Coach of the Year Awards and winning only 56% of his games, four is are still four rings. The man sitting at no.1 on our list is the only head coach with more. Knoll deserves his shrine in Canton, Ohio among the game’s greats.

6. Joe Gibbs

Win Loss Record: 154-94
Super Bowl Wins: 3
AP Coach of Year Awards: 2

Few coaches saw the success that Joe Gibbs experienced in the NFL. Gibbs took over for the then-Washington Redskins in the 1981 season. It only took him two years to guide Washington to their first Super Bowl title with a victory in Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins.

Gibbs would lead Washington to a total of four Super Bowl appearances. Washington would win two more titles as Gibbs would finish his first stint with the team with three championships. Gibbs is tied for third all-time in Super Bowl victories and fifth in playoff wins.

Furthermore, he remained Washington’s head man until he retired after the 1992 season. Additionally, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Gibbs would eventually be coerced to return to the sidelines in 2004 by infamous Washington owner Daniel Snyder.

After a 6-10 return in 2004, Gibbs led Washington to a ten-win season in 2005 along with a wildcard round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This marked the franchise’s first playoff win since 1999.

Gibbs would lead the franchise to the playoffs again in 2007 but fell to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. He would once again retire after the 2007 season.

While he only posted a 30-34 record during his second stint, he did manage to secure a wildcard berth two times. He was the only coach under Snyder to field multiple playoff teams.

To this date, Gibbs led Washington to the most success the franchise has ever seen. He also gets bonus points for finding a way to make the playoffs twice during the Dan Snyder years. All things considered, that alone warrants consideration for this list.

7. Bill Parcells

Win Loss Record: 172-130-1
Super Bowl Wins: 2
AP Coach of Year Awards: 2

With two Super Bowl titles and a pair of AP Coach of the Year awards, Bill Parcells gets the nod at number seven. Known for his hard-nosed, old-school approach, Parcells rode his players hard. Despite this, he was always able to get the best out of them. The results on the field showed.

The Hall of Famer cut his teeth with the New York Giants in the 1980s. Within four years, he helped lead the team to a championship. Parcells would also lead the Giants to their second Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXV. Ultimately, he would coach the Giants until 1990 and finished with two titles. Parcells would also enjoy success with the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Dallas Cowboys.

While you may not have liked his approach, he helped turn around four franchises and set them in the right direction. Parcells was a winner wherever he went. He guided the Giants to their first two Super Bowl wins. Parcells took over a struggling Patriots team and led them to the Super Bowl within four seasons.

Taking over the Jets after the disastrous reign of Rich Kotite, Parcells had them within a game of the Super Bowl after only three years. Finally, he brought winning back to the Cowboys after a trio of embarrassing seasons in the early 2000s.

Known for his ability to foster quick turnarounds, he’s undoubtedly one of the best coaches to ever man the sidelines.

8. Tom Landry

Win Loss Record: 250-162-6
AP Super Bowl Wins: 2
Coach of Year Awards: 1

The first of back-to-back Cowboys coaches comes in at number eight. Tom Landry enjoyed a legendary coaching career spanning nearly three decades from 1960 to 1988. Landry, the first coach in Cowboys history, led the team to a total of five Super Bowl appearances during his tenure.

Furthermore, he helped the Cowboys break through for their first title in Super Bowl VI with a win over Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys would win their second title in Super XII this time defeating the Denver Broncos. Dallas had a shot to repeat as champs again in Super Bowl XIII, but they were topped by Chuck Knoll and the Steelers.

Landry’s 250 wins are the fifth most all-time. His 20 playoff wins are also good for the third most in history. Landry is seen as one of the game’s great teachers. He was beloved by his players and his impact on the Cowboys legacy cannot be overstated. The tail end of his career is the only reason he’s not ranked higher on this list.

Landry helped put the Cowboys franchise on the map with his work over 29 years as head coach. Needless to say, he deserves to be remembered among the greats.

9. Jimmy Johnson

Win Loss Record: 80-64
Super Bowl Wins: 2
AP Coach of Year Awards: 1

Taking over for the man above, The Dallas Cowboys were in a rut when they hired Jimmy Johnson. After three straight losing seasons, and an embarrassing league-worst 3-13 year in 1988, owner Jerry Jones made the call to replace legendary Coach Tom Landry in favor of Johnson.

After a brutal 1-15 season in 1989, the Cowboys slowly saw improvement under Johnson with each season. In 1991, the Cowboys made their first playoff appearance since 1985. 1992 would be the money season as the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXVII. It was their first championship since 1977. Johnson and the Cowboys would repeat as champs with a victory over the Buffalo Bills for the second consecutive year in Super Bowl XXVIII. The back-to-back titles cemented the Cowboys’ place in history.

While he doesn’t have the longevity of others listed here, Johnson is the man responsible for turning around the Cowboys. He built the dynasty that won three of four Super Bowls in the 1990s.

It’s a shame Johnson and Dallas parted ways after a falling out with Jones. It would have been fun to watch what this team could have accomplished with another six years under Johnson’s guidance.

Even still, Johnson’s accomplishments speak for themselves. He probably would have been higher on this list if he had more time in Dallas.

10. Tony Dungy

Win Loss Record: 139-69
Super Bowl Wins: 1
AP Coach of Year Awards: 0

The first African American head coach to win a Super Bowl takes the final spot on our list. Tony Dungy found initial success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Building a ferocious defense, he was able to turn the tides for one of the league’s worst franchises. In 1997, he led the team to their first playoff appearance since 1982 and first playoff win since 1981.

Dungy was able to get the Buccaneers within a game of the Super Bowl in the 1999 season, but the Buccaneers would fall to the eventual champion St. Louis Rams in the NFC Championship game.

Despite being the Buccaneers’ most successful coach in franchise history, he was ultimately replaced by Jon Gruden as the team searched for an answer to put them over the top.

Ironically, the reason for his dismissal in Tampa Bay was the exact reason why he was hired by the Indianapolis Colts. Notably, he helped Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts reach the next level and win Super Bowl XLI over the Chicago Bears. The victory marked the Colts’ first title since Super Bowl V in 1970.

Dungy had a unique approach to coaching. Emphasizing his calm demeanor and balanced approach, he felt this was the best way to maximize his players’ success. It’s hard to argue with the results, as he helped turn the fortunes of two separate franchises.

Furthermore, Dungy won nearly 67% of his games, placing 13th all-time in Win-Loss Percentage. Not to mention, he may very well have finished with more titles had he continued working with Manning. However, Dungy opted for retirement after the 2008 season.

Breaking barriers with his success, Dungy enjoyed a Hall of Fame career as a coach. In the end, his legacy in the NFL will always be remembered.

Honorable Mentions: Marv Levy, Mike Tomlin, Mike Shanahan, Tom Coughlin